Propulsion system cooling control
AssigneeRtx Corporation
InventorsFrederick M. Schwarz, Michael Winter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ground-based cryogenic cooling system includes a means for cooling an airflow and producing chilled air responsive to a power supply. A liquid air condensate pump system is operable to condense the chilled air into liquid air and urge the liquid air through a feeder line. A cryogenic cartridge includes a coupling interface configured to detachably establish fluid communication with the feeder line and a cryogenic liquid reservoir configured to store the liquid air under pressure. The cryogenic cartridge can be coupled to a cryogenic liquid distribution system on an aircraft. The liquid air can be selectively released from the cryogenic cartridge through the cryogenic liquid distribution system for an aircraft use.
Claims13
A method comprising:
- operating a ground-based cryogenic cooling system to produce a volume of liquid air by performing a plurality of operations comprising:
- receiving an airflow at a heat exchanger system to produce a cooled airflow based on cooling provided through a cooling air intake;
- producing compressed air from the cooled airflow by a compressor responsive to rotation driven by an electric motor through a first shaft coupled to a gearbox;
- cooling the compressed air through the heat exchanger system based on cooling provided through the cooling air intake;
- removing water from the cooled compressed air to produce dried cool air, wherein the water is sprayed proximate to an intake of the heat exchanger system to further cool the cooling air intake;
- expanding the dried cool air through a turbine assembly coupled to the gearbox by a second shaft to produce chilled air;
- condensing the chilled air into the liquid air;
- and
- urging the liquid air through a feeder line into a cryogenic cartridge;
- pressurizing and storing the liquid air in the cryogenic cartridge;
- coupling the cryogenic cartridge to a cryogenic liquid distribution system on an aircraft;
- and
- selectively releasing the liquid air from the cryogenic cartridge through the cryogenic liquid distribution system for an aircraft use.
A ground-based cryogenic cooling system comprising:
- a means for cooling an airflow and producing chilled air responsive to a power supply, the means comprising:
- a heat exchanger system configured to receive the airflow and produce a cooled airflow based on cooling provided through a cooling air intake;
- a compressor configured to receive the cooled airflow and produce compressed air, wherein the heat exchanger system is in fluid communication with the compressor and configured to cool the compressed air based on cooling provided through the cooling air intake;
- an electric motor operable to drive rotation of the compressor responsive to the power supply through a first shaft coupled to a gearbox;
- a means for separating water from the compressed air to produce dried cool air, wherein the water is sprayed proximate to an intake of the heat exchanger system to further cool the cooling air intake;
- and
- a turbine assembly comprising one or more turbines in fluid communication with the means for separating water, the turbine assembly coupled to the gearbox by a second shaft and configured to expand the dried cool air and produce the chilled air;
- a liquid air condensate pump system operable to condense the chilled air into liquid air and urge the liquid air through a feeder line;
- and
- a cryogenic cartridge comprising a coupling interface configured to detachably establish fluid communication with the feeder line and a cryogenic liquid reservoir configured to store the liquid air under pressure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.